The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-02-24
LEGISLATIVE PROCEEDINGS.
Democrats0 Opposed to Non-Partisan Con-
troll Of State Institutions.
Soldiers Monument Bill Passed by the House
as Was Also the GrOse Measure for the
Asylum Boards-Brief Mention

institutions, relied too hopefully on the suomls-
sion Of party to anything Democrat might sug-
gest. ''The mistake we made said gentleman,
twas in being ia too much of bury without
having a caucus understanding as to wnas sup
port the reform measures would command. Up
to yesterday morning there was such decisive
opposition that, had the bills been pressed 10
vote they VIC uld have failed The antagonlsm
they call for is not so much against the proposl-
ton to better the management as 1t is against T
the partisan feature which under!ies both meas
ures in making the Govern or responsible for the |
appointed trustees and directors, and leaving 1t |
to his discretion to select all or merely a ma |
jority from the Democratic party This would
be merely shifting the burden of bad appoint
ments from the General Assembly to the Gov
.ernor and giving the people no guarantee
that the Democratic management of the insti-
tutions would not be as it has been
in the past, helpless in its negligence and reek-
ing with corruption. Members Of that party
vino are earnest in reform favor non partisan
boards and it is interesting to note the progress
this sentiment has made under the developments
of the past two weeks At the beginning OF the
session, before the exposures became so astound-
ing and the facts irrefutabre, ten Democrats
would have voted as unit, for the plan incor-
porated in the Barrett and Sellers bills, but their
opinions have undergone a remarkable transfer
nation in face of the southern prison report and
the daily chapter of evils that surrounded and
permeated the control of the Insane Asylum. II
tho party LASH is used in whipping tho recalc-
trants into line, it must be done vigorously, for
three days efforts to push the Barrett bill for
ward have left it in much worse
position than if it had been left to
the ordinary chances of opposition. The
fullest Discussion of its merits was allowed
on simrle motion to make 1t special order
for tomorrow, and yesterday its friends had
to resort to tactics of unusual kind To save 1t
from immediate defeat On Monday 1t was
made tho special order for Tuesday and on that
day the motion further postpone occurred
The discussion following was not closed until
yesterday morning and then not until the tao
tics were applied BY Senator Howard, of Deca-
tur. The position of the bill at that time de-
pended on \ motion of Senator Campbell to
amend by Increasing the number of directors
from three to four. not more than two of whom
should belong to any of the two great politi-
cal parties. Senator johnson favored further
amendment by keeping the directors at three
one of whom should be of opposite politics TO the
other two. bnt this was afterwards withdrawn
Senator De Motto made a fotcible speech in favor
Of the amendment in which he relentlessly criti-
cised the incapacty of the Democratic party
to manage the institutions. He dwelt
with searching relation OF facts
upon its inefficiency in every branch of service
and it's devotion the doctrine of spoils regard
less of the peoples interests 1twas at the close
of this appeal for better government of the
institutions the only W ~ by which it can be
-attei ned Il 1t Senator Toward moved to sus-
rana the further consideration OF the bill a
special order AID take MP the regular line of
lusiness 1t POSSIBLE that had it not been for
this the bill wound have made a narrow escape
from amendment but, as il was, the motion
prevailed by only vote, Senators Weir,
Barrett, Hale, Paterson and Rahm voting
against the suspension Senator Smith. in the
chair. in giving his affirmative vote, explained
that as the tendency of the question was only to
provoke further discussion. he believed the
friends of the measure should get together and
formulate bill that would prove satisfactory to
all So the bill remains about in the position
from which it started.
1t was later in the day that the House passed
the Grose bill providing for non partisan boards
of three trustees for each of the four insane hos
pitfalls and the deaf and dumb and blind asy lums
Here as in the Senate, the Democrats. with but
few exceptions. were opposed to the non partisan
feature. but as the bill was called up and pressed
through under an operation of the previous oues
ton after its author had made strong speech
in its behalf. the opponents were left only to the
usage of explaining votes in getting their views
before the House. All of them took very much
the same line of objection, except in An instance
or two where it claimed that the boards
were too many, and would thus fail to secure tn.
reform desired. AS the bill gives the appoint
ment of these trustees to the Governor, tina
part of it suited the Democracy unde
the present regime. Some were sc
uneallapt as to object to women acting as trus
tees, yet the simple fact that under such Law
the Democracy could not have unrestricted
power the institutions, led the majority o
them against the measure. Representative
Jewett gave his IDEAS of non partisan boards b.
claiming that it directors OF this characte
who we're responsible for the Andal at tn
Jetfersonville prison by keeping sck Howard
office La the rptp n
such man in office could occur, and he neve
would have been retained had the directors bee
all Democratic Persons on the inside of a grea
deal or the evidence before the House priso
committee smiled at this assertion from Repre-
sentative Jewe.t HIS anxiety about some G
the, testimony before that committee is said t
be intense. much like that attending his interes
ir, the memorial OF contest relative 10 his seat
Representative from Floyd. However tn
Republican House met its pledges promptly {
see that the institutions should have. as far as
is concerned. bipartisan management. TIL
Democrats who voted with their Republican co
leagues the passage of the bill were Ibact
Roberts and Beasley, thus giving the measur
90 votes to 81 against it. The bill creates ST
boards of trustees, each of which shall be
woman, and the other two shall be of opposlt
ponucs. 1t IL required, too, that the wome
representatives on the board shall be equally d
vided politically. One member from each of tn
three boards governing the institutions in thi
city shall constitute executive board whic
is 10 make all the purchases For the other in
situations the purchases are to DO made as unie
the present law. =
Day before yesterday Senator Trippett. i
fighting craftsmanship in the Barrett priso
bill, referred, did Representative Jewatt Yes
sterday, to the scandal at the southern prison a
being largely due to boards in which RepubN,
represented He accused Represents
tive Linck. when director of that prison. {
having '.helpeG Howard to cover up his villain,
and aided HIM to assume virtue, though he ha
it not.D Yesterday Representative Linck arose
aquestion Of privilege, and said:
The man that made that speech is o liar and a COY
ard he wonld not make such unprovoke
personal attack upon / do not kno
how big no is, do l care. When I WEI
TO that prison director there W,